I have revealed at some point or another, that I came into beauty after I left a career fashion design. And not a day goes by that I regret that transition. I could say that there was something about being a makeup artist that suited my personality more than being a fashion designer. I could say that the work environment in fashion was somehow more treacherous than beauty. There are some inherent truths about everything you encounter in life, but none of the reasons I could list why one career seems to be better for me than the other would be 100% true.

The truth is, my outlook changed.

There is good energy and bad energy in every industry. Yes there is real evil in this world. And there is no definitively "right" or "wrong" career choice for you. There is only what you bring to the table and the choices you make about how to look at the surrounding factors that you can not control.

I first encountered Lori Taylor at the Makeup Show NYC.

I love Smashbox Photo Finish. It is pure genius: a soft focus filter that you put right on your face! Look like Barbara Walters with her fuzzy warm glow, all the time, in person!

When I saw Smashbox on the list of exhibitors, I made a beeline to the booth, hoping to make a few connections. After chatting with a few of the sales associates I was handed over to Lori. That first meeting was unimpressive. It was crowded. People were trying to climb over me to get to her. And I only had time to swap cards and scurry off to a less crowded area. We didn't really connect.

I got my dream partnership for the giftaway and I gifted a handful of lucky winners their choice of Photo Finish. Lori answered the Q&A.

What I noticed about her answers to my questions was that they had this bouncy quality. They could have been the most mundane answers if you stripped away the color she added to them, but the way she talked about how one of her favorite holiday memories was getting a Christmas Tree with her husband– it kinda made me want to go get a tree.

I love a person with some zing.

Anything in life is fantastic if you just approach it with zest.

Swing by the Examiner to get more Lori, and enter below to get a chance to win Smashbox's really cool wet/dry Double Exposure palette.